Frequently Asked Questions
We’re bringing answers home.
Home Healthcare FAQ
What is Home Healthcare?
Home healthcare is quite like it sounds. It is medical attention provided by skilled professionals that takes place in the comfort and convenience of your own home. The care comes to you rather than you having to travel to a hospital or clinic.
Home healthcare is coordinated by a licensed, qualified organization and may involve the services of nurses, therapists, clinicians and sometimes even social workers providing non-medical support. It is a service ordered by a physician for patients who may be recovering from a surgery, illness or injury or for those facing chronic illness.
What’s the difference between home healthcare, hospice care and private home care?
Home Healthcare is quite like it sounds. It is medical attention provided by skilled professionals that takes place in the comfort and convenience of your own home. The care comes to you rather than you having to travel to a hospital or clinic. Home healthcare is coordinated by a licensed, qualified organization and may involve the services of nurses, therapists, clinicians and sometimes even social workers providing non-medical support. It is a service ordered by a physician for patients who may be recovering from a surgery, illness or injury or for those facing chronic illness.
Hospice care is a philosophy of high-quality, compassionate care for anyone of any age who has a life-limiting illness and does not want any more curative treatment. It provides dignity, choice and comfort so what remains of life can be lived to its fullest. Hospice care also provides a great deal of support for family members in the form of physical, emotional and spiritual assistance.
Private Home Care provides care that concentrates on activities of daily living that including live in senior care, personal care, household/chore services, and transportation. These are all things that allow us to remain independent and in our homes.
Who is eligible for home healthcare?
To qualify for home health services, you must be in need of periodic medical treatment but experiencing difficulty leaving your home and to do so, need to rely on another person or an assistance device such as a cane, a walker or a wheelchair. The care must be ordered by your physician and that physician must be licensed in the state of Georgia. The care also must be deemed reasonable and necessary to the treatment of the patient’s illness or injury.
What services are covered under the Medicare benefit?
If you have Medicare benefits, you’ll be covered for home health services such as nursing care, physical therapy and speech-language pathology services. If qualified, you may also receive occupational therapy, the help of a medical social worker, assistance from a home health aide and/or medical supplies.
How many visits will I get at home?
Every patient and situation is different, and it will depend on the treatment ordered by your physician. Visiting Nurse continually communicates and coordinates the home visits with your doctor’s office. That way, if your situation should change, we will work in tandem with the doctor to decide if we should increase or decrease your visits.
What can I expect on the first Visiting Nurse Home Healthcare visit?
Visiting Nurse will assess the needs of the patient during the first visit ensuring the transition from the hospital to your home quite seamless. During the initial visit, a nurse or therapist will coordinate a hands-on plan of care for the patient including their physicians, family, and caregivers. By working together, Visiting Nurse’s team is able to provide the most exceptional care possible.
What does “homebound” mean?
Homebound indicates that it is challenging to leave the home and/or you unable to leave your home safely without medical equipment such as crutches, canes, walkers or wheelchairs. Your physician can determine if you are homebound if they believe that your illness or current health status could get worse if you do leave your home. However, it is not completely forbidden to leave the home. Those that are homebound leave for short periods of time for special non-medical activities like trips to attend church, graduations or to the barber/beauty shop.
Can I request Visiting Nurse if my doctor orders home health care for me?
Of course you can. Patients have the freedom to choose their health care provider under Federal law.
Who do I contact about admission to the program?
Call us, Visiting Nurse Health System, Georgia’s largest nonprofit home healthcare provider. We will then contact your physician to see if home health services are recommended and we will begin your plan. Call (404) 215-6000. We are ready to bring healthcare home to you.
How much does home healthcare cost?
Medicare, Medicaid and most insurance and managed care organizations cover the cost of home health services. Some insurance and manage care plans may require a deductible or co-pay. To have Visiting Nurse help you figure out your depth of coverage, call (404) 215-6000.
Are your employees supervised on a regular basis?
It is important to have a collaborative environment so our teams, clients, their families and physicians are on the same page. We update our employees weekly on their clients’ cases. Our Private Home Care team is also supervised by nurses on-site where they monitor the condition of the patient. These observations allow our team to report any changes to condition, care needs to the client’s family and/or primary physician.
How does Visiting Nurse | Hospice Atlanta ensure all employees are trustworthy and competent?
We understand the uncertainty of having someone new in your home but it is our goal to ensure that all of our clients are comfortable with all Visiting Nurse | Hospice Atlanta employees they come in contact with. Our employees proudly uphold our organizational values—respect, integrity, excellence, stewardship and care in all we do. At Visiting Nurse | Hospice Atlanta, we take pride in having compassionate and qualified employees. All employees are required to have advanced proficiency in critical thinking, time management, technical skills as well as reading, writing and speaking English. We also examine the following for all team members during the hiring process:
- Education
- Current licenses and/or certifications
- Criminal background checks
- Ability to read, write and speak English
- Written references
Does Visiting Nurse provide back-up coverage?
Yes, of course. For all pre-scheduled visits, we will provide backup coverage when necessary. Visiting Nurse is available 24/7 and will never leave a client unattended.
Are Visiting Nurse staff members insured and bonded?
Safety and integrity are important to us. All Visiting Nurse employees are fully insured in compliance with the Georgia state laws and fully bonded against theft.
Connect with Us on Instagram
At Visiting Nurse Health System and Hospice Atlanta, we’re honored to care for the veterans in our community, recognizing not only their healthcare needs, but the lives, sacrifices and service that shaped who they are.
From bringing compassionate care into their home, we’re committed to making sure those who served our country are treated with the dignity, respect and gratitude they deserve.
We are honored to serve those who served. 🇺🇸
#Veterans #HonoringVeterans #HospiceAtlanta #VisitingNurseHealthSystem #VeteransCare #CommunityCare
💫 Camp STARS 2026 is almost here! ⭐️
Our volunteers are getting ready for a wonderful weekend of connection, laughter, support and memories with our bereaved families this November.
Camp is nearly full, and we can’t wait to welcome our 2026 STARS! ⭐️✨
#CampSTARS #HospiceAtlanta #BereavementSupport #CommunityOfCare #VolunteersWhoCare
We’re grateful when patients and families share their experience with Hospice Atlanta. Their stories not only encourage our team, but can also help other families feel more confident as they consider hospice care for someone they love.
Thank you for trusting us to be part of your journey.
#hospiceatlanta#hospicecare#ourwhy#CompassionateCare
Please join us in celebrating our Employee of the Month!
Geraldine has been part of the Visiting Nurse Health System family for nearly a decade, bringing dedication, care and commitment to the work she does every day.
We’re grateful for all you do, Geraldine! 👏💙
#EmployeeOfTheMonth #TeamVNHS #VisitingNurseHealthSystem #HealthcareHeroes
Visiting Nurse`s Palliative Care program focuses on comfort, quality of life and support for people living with serious illness, while helping patients and families navigate their care.
Learn more about Palliative Care through Visiting Nurse Health System and how our team can help.
#palliativecare#visitingnursehealthsystem#qualityoflife#CompassionateCare
We’re back with the second installment of our Hospice Myth or Fact series to help our patients, families and our community better understand hospice care and the support available when it’s needed most.
Have a question about hospice? Hospice Atlanta is here to help, because knowing the facts can make all the difference.
Our team is available to answer questions, provide guidance and help families understand navigate care options.
#HospiceMythOrFact #HospiceAtlanta #HospiceCare #HereToHelp #CompassionateCare
Aging Better starts with a community that cares!
Our Visiting Nurse Health System and Hospice Atlanta Home Health and Hospice teams were proud to be part of the Aging Better Expo, hosted by our valued healthcare partner, Kaiser Permanente.
The event brought seniors and community partners together for a day focused on health, wellness, resources and connections that help older adults live and age well in their homes!
Great event connecting one-on-one with seniors, answering questions, sharing information about our full care continuum filled with services to help seniors age in place.
We’re grateful to Kaiser Permanente and all the organizations working together to care for Atlanta’s growing senior community. When we come together, we make our community stronger by bringing information, resources and connection to our seniors to thrive at home.
#agingbetterexpo#kaiserpermanente#visitingnursehealthsystem#hospiceatlanta#homehealth#seniorcare#AtlantaCommunity#CommunityCare
Grateful for strong community partnerships that help build strong nonprofit leadership.
For the past five years, OnBoard has been an important pipeline for recruiting talented, committed leaders to the Visiting Nurse Health System | Hospice Atlanta Board of Directors. Their work has helped us connect with individuals who bring fresh perspectives, valuable expertise, and a genuine commitment to our mission.
We’ve seen that impact firsthand. Mel Coker, now in her first term as Board Chair, came to our board through OnBoard and stepped into the chair role following Nicole Hart’s successful completion of her term. And now, we are excited to welcome Amy Katnik as the newest leader joining our board through the OnBoard pipeline.
Strong organizations need strong governance, and strong governance starts with finding the right people who are willing to serve.
Thank you, OnBoard, for five years of partnership and for helping Visiting Nurse Health System continue to strengthen the leadership around our board table. We are grateful for the partnership and excited about the leaders still to come.
#OnBoard #BoardLeadership #NonprofitLeadership #Governance #CommunityLeadership #VisitingNurseHealthSystem #HospiceAtlanta
Today, we celebrate the people who came before us. ❤️
The ones who raised families.
Built communities.
Worked hard.
Loved deeply.
Weathered challenges.
And left a little wisdom behind for the generations that followed.
On Senior Citizens Day, we honor the older adults who have shaped our families and our communities, and remind ourselves that growing older should always come with dignity, respect, connection and care.
Here’s to the stories, memories, lessons and legacies that make every generation matter.
Happy Senior Citizens Day!
#SeniorCitizensDay #CelebrateSeniors #LegacyOfCare #AgingWithDignity #EveryGeneration
As we close out the month, we`d like to acknowledge each and every day, the dedicated team members of Visiting Nurse Health System and Hospice Atlanta make a difference in the lives of patients and families across our community. From nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians, social workers, chaplains, aides, therapists, administrative staff, care coordinators to our incredible volunteers, each person plays an important role in delivering compassionate, patient-centered care.
Thank you for your expertise, dedication, and commitment to those we serve. We are grateful for all that you do.
#HealthcareHeroes #HospiceCare #HomeHealth #CommunityCare #Teamwork #VisitingNurse #HospiceAtlanta
Stories like these remind us why we do what we do. Every day, Visiting Nurse Home Visiting Nurse Health System / Hospice Atlanta is honored to help patients regain strength, independence, and honor life`s journey with peace, confidence and dignity, at every stage of life, in the comfort of home.
#HomeHealth #hospiceatlanta #PatientExperience #visitingnursehealthsystem #CareAtHome #HealthcareHeroes
Connecting with our community is at the heart of what we do. From senior citizen fairs, Veteran Patient Pinning ceremonies, medical doctors offices and hospital education days, to community education events, the Visiting Nurse teams are out across Georgia, every day, building relationships, sharing resources, and helping connect patients to the care they need.
We`re proud to partner with healthcare professionals, community organizations, and families to increase awareness of home health, hospice and community-based services, ensuring more individuals can access quality care where they are most comfortable, at home.
#VisitingNurseHealthSystem #Veterans #HomeHealth #CommunityOutreach #HealthcareEducation #AtlantaHealthcare #CareAtHome
